Times to Monitor, Probably Print Right-Wing Blog Scandal Stories

This weekend the Times' public editor Clark Hoyt (pictured) admitted his paper was slow to cover the ACORN fake-prostitution scandal, and that the Times' managing and executive editors "would now assign an editor to monitor opinion media and brief them frequently on bubbling controversies." That way, though "the Times specifically prohibits reporters from misrepresenting themselves or making secret recordings," they can get in on all the juicy goodness without getting their fingers dirty.

We wonder then why there's nothing at the Times yet about rightblogger Dan Riehl's investigation of that census taker murdered in Kentucky and left with the word "FED" written on his chest. It's titled "Was Census Worker Bill Sparkman A Child Predator?" "Why hang him and invite the Feds into it by writing Fed on his chest?" asks Riehl. "Why strip him naked and bind and gag him, which has serious sexual overtones?" No answers, but... questions remain! Here's an opportunity for the Times to get with citizen journalism pronto, but they better hurry: already, Riehl says, "The LibTwitters Are Freaking Out! lol" over his explosive report.